Practice
by Ebonclaw
Summary: A lone Wood Elf stumbles upon Angi's Camp near the edge of Skyrim, and gets some well-needed archery practice.


**A/N**: A very short story of my Wood Elf archer, Artemis. You can read a little about her on my profile, but it's definitely not needed to understand the story ^^

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After that bear and those three bandits I had been on the verge of turning around and going back to Falkreath. I honestly didn't like being in the city, but Falkreath was small and the people there were gloomy and kept to themselves, so I didn't mind being there for a while. And of course, no one tried to kill you for simply being curious or coming a bit too close.

The mountains didn't look too friendly, and I swore I saw a blizzard starting to form further up where the peaks almost touched the clouds, but there was something that made me want to walk up that narrow path. I had a feeling it lead to neither treasure nor enemies – whether those were bandits or aggressive animals – but I didn't know what else it could lead to.

I held my bow loosely in my hand as I begun to walk. Experience had taught me having my bow ready could save me from serious injury; the extra second or two it took for me to draw it was exactly time I didn't have. Being an archer, it was important for me to take care of my attackers when they still were as far away as possible. Close combat was nothing short of deadly for me.

The path up the mountain was long and treacherous. Several times I almost turned back, but at the very last minute I thought to myself that if I turned back now, it would all have been for nothing.

Finally, as I reached what I realized was the peak, the clouds and the fog dissipated and the warm rays of the setting sun bathed the scene in orange and pink light. Further up ahead, I could see the roof of a small shack, and the smoke from a fireplace.

There was a lone woman living up there. Angi.

I don't know what it was that made me like her at first sight. Maybe it was the way she instantly swore to kill me if I tried anything, or maybe it was the way she looked at me and nodded slightly in silent approval.

I had crafted my armor myself, and I was ridiculously proud over it. It consisted of nothing more than the animals I had killed and skilled myself – the pelt of a bear hung from my shoulders as a perfect camouflage when hunting, and its claws had been repurposed as emergency back-up when my bow failed me and I had to fight with nothing but my bare fists.

Kyne's Token hung safely around my neck, as a memory of the guardian animals I once had to kill.

She saw it, and she must've known what it meant, for she offered to teach me a thing or two about archery. I was fairly confident with my bow already, but there was something in the way she looked at me that told me I had nothing on her.

My confidence wasn't exactly boosted when she started shooting. Her movements were fast but precise, always hitting the target and never hesitating. Even when she spoke to me and looked at me she would continue shooting, hitting the targets one by one.

When I stepped up to the practice area, my hands were trembling for the first time. The targets suddenly seemed so very far away.

Angi's voice soothed me. She told me I could, if I just believed I could. She told me to trust my instincts and my eye, to be fast but not careless – to be confident but not reckless.

And in the end, even though I didn't succeed in all the exercises at the first try, I did eventually succeed. And her words of praise warmed me more than I thought they would.

I had never been close to anyone – people just weren't worth the trouble – but something told me she was worth it. I knew I'd travel up the dangerous path up the mountain just to see her more than once more. I knew I'd keep doing the exercises over and over, hopefully with her by my side, and I knew I'd stay with her for several days if she allowed me.

Before I left she gave me her bow. I was humbled, but couldn't say no.

Even though it was just an old hunting bow made out of wood, I kept it for the longest time. Whenever I used it to hunt, I could feel my abilities grow. It was like she was right there next to me, hunting with me, and whispering in my ear:

'_Composure is the key to a successful archer.'_


End file.
